Emeute universitaire à Bolawayo – juin 2010
Zimbabwe’s NUST university closed due to student unrest
zimbabwejournalists.com
4 juin 2010
By a Correspondent
BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe’s National University of Science and Technology (NUST) was temporarily shutdown on Wednesday as chaos rocked the institution.
The university’s property worth more than US$20 000 was burnt down as students were protesting the decision by the college authorities to bar those who had not paid fees from writing examinations.
More than 10 student leaders have already been arrested and are facing charges of malicious damage to property.
NUST Vice Chancellor, Lindela Ndlovu is reported to have been given 24-hour police protection following repeated threats by students over his decision to bar them from examinations. The University’s fees range from US$300 to US$700 per semester.
Jorum Chikwadze, a Students Representative Council (SRC), who escaped arrest accused the Vice Chancellor Ndlovu of dictatorial tendencies by not listening to students grievances.
“The problem with our vice chancellor is that he is very arrogant doesn’t want to listen to our grievances. Every time when we try to engage him he threatens us,” said Chikwadze.
When Radio VOP visited the college on Thursday morning, armed riot police were manning all gates to the University.
NUST public relations director Felix Moyo said the college authorities were shocked by the students’ behaviour and damage to property.
“We are really shocked by this incident and greatly dismayed by such an act .We has lost property worth thousands of US dollars,” said Moyo.
Bulawayo province police spokesperson Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed “that several students have been arrested and will appear in court to face charges of malicious damage to property”.
NUST students run riot over exam fees
zimdiaspora.com
THERE was chaos at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) campus in Bulawayo yesterday when hundreds of students ran riot in protest over the institution’s move to bar those who failed to pay fees from writing examinations.
The examinations started yesterday and 200 out of 600 students in their final year were allowed to write.
Police had to be called in to contain the angry students before they could destroy property.
“We have deployed police officers to Nust to maintain peace and make sure there is no damage to property. We have sent officers from the Support Unit. However, I haven’t received reports of any arrests and I will release more details as they become available,” said Bulawayo provincial police spokesman Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo yesterday evening.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lindela Ndlovu, was escorted by more than 10 policemen to Delta Lecture Theatre where he held an hour-long stormy meeting with the disgruntled students, but no solution could be found.
During the meeting, the students threatened to go on a full-scale demonstration today if they are not allowed to sit for examinations.
In a bid to find a compromise, Prof Ndlovu said those who had cleared their tuition fees but had outstanding levies would be allowed to sit for examinations.
However, the students would have none of that.
Tuition fees range from US$300 to US$400 and goes up to between US$450 and US$700 inclusive of levies.
The students said the tuition fees were more than the levies hence the proposal was not sensible.
In an interview after the meeting, Prof Ndlovu said the students were supposed to clear their outstanding fees during the semester.
He maintained that the students who had not cleared their outstanding fees would not be allowed to sit for the examinations.
“They were meant to clear their outstanding fees during the course of the semester because after paying the initial US$200, there was not much that was left to clear. We held discussions but nothing was achieved in the meeting because they were many and they couldn’t understand,” said Prof Ndlovu.
The students will hold a meeting on the way forward today.
In an interview, a member of the Students Representative Council (SRC) said students who had not cleared their outstanding fees were barred from writing examinations.
“When we came for the examination at 2pm, we were greeted by police officers at the Ceremonial Hall’s entrance who were demanding payment statements. Those who had outstanding fees were sent away while those who had fully paid were allowed entry into the hall,” said the student leader.
“As a result, out of about 600 students who had come to write examinations, only 200 managed to write while the majority were turned away. The situation is expected to get worse because students from the Faculty of Commerce who form the majority are yet to start writing.”
The student leader said they were disappointed with the institution’s stance.
“When the semester started, we agreed that we pay US$200 for us to be allowed to attend lectures and sit for examinations as we looked for the remainder. It was agreed that should we fail to raise the fees by the end of the semester, the institution would withhold our results until we pay,” he said.
“However, when we came here today, we discovered that the institution had changed its stance without even bothering to tell us. They say that they put a notice at the library in the city centre instead of placing it here at the campus.”
The student leader accused the university of holding them to ransom.
“They are paying lecturers retention fees every week and that money is expected to come from the students but it is not sustainable. They want to bleed the students for their own selfish benefits,” he said.
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